Grey Area
by natashaheisenburg
Summary: Previously known as "Unrequited". Stories about love, hate and everything else in between. A series of one-shots. Pairings vary from chapter to chapter. Chapter 5: Kitana/Kung Lao.
1. Inimitable Perfection

**Inimitable Perfection.  
**

Ashrah smashed down her foes. They were dark warriors, clothed in black, using techniques which were vaguely familiar to her. She slashed away, not really caring about the blood that splattered across her face and her white clothes as their body parts were flung across the clearing. She ducked as one attempted to hit her face using a sledgehammer and jumped as one tried to knock her off her feet. Gracefully, she plunged her sword into her enemy's body and threw a white projectile at him.

There were twenty eight warriors, now, only one was left standing. He was trying to appear confident as he took on his stance, but he was blissfully unaware of his shaking.

Ashrah smirked as she slowly advanced towards the man, her Kriss in tow. He wasn't much of an opponent, Ashrah had concluded as he fell down to the ground without her doing anything yet. She sheathed her blade and approached the man.

"Who sent you here?" She demanded as she grabbed the man by his collar.

The man looked at her in fear, but did not say anything. It looked as if he didn't want to divulge any secrets.

"I asked you a question!" she barked. She shook the man, but he simply looked at her in, now, a mixture of fear _and_ hate.

Ashrah unsheathed her blade and held it close to the man's throat. In one swift movement, she cut the assassin's head off. She wiped her blade on the assassin's uniform. She held it up and admired the way the sunlight bounced on the shimmering blade.

She, however, did not notice the assassin that crept up to her sneakily, and plunged his blade through her. Ashrah gasped in pain as the sword was pulled out of her. She fell to her knees and grasped her stomach. Her blood was warm as it gushed out of her wound. Before her head hit the ground, she thought she saw a flash of blinding light.

Warmth was filling her body as she regained consciousness. Her eyelids fluttered open and she blinked a few times. She sat up, vaguely aware that she was not in pain. She lifted her shirt and saw no wound on her stomach. She blinked at it.

"What-?"

"It is good to see you have awakened." She heard a deep voice. She looked to her left to see a figure clad in white, approaching her.

"L-Lord Raiden." Ashrah acknowledged. She wanted to stand up to bow to the heavenly being before her, but the said god stopped her from doing so. She stared at him. For the first time in her life, she saw the Thunder God without his signature hat.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Not trusting her voice, Ashrah merely nodded. She was doing her best not to gawk at Raiden. However, his slightly open robe, which showed a little of his broad chest made it almost an impossible feat.

Ashrah had always admired the Thunder God. He was the epitome of justice. He fought for the side of good. Not to mention how handsome and dashing he was when he was saving the innocent. Ashrah gulped as Raiden placed his hand on her forehead.

"I think you're sick. You're face is all red. Are you sure you're all right?" his voice was laced with concern. Somehow, his words made Ashrah even redder.

"I assure you, Lord Raiden, that I am perfectly all right." She nodded at him. "I assume I have you to thank for my speedy recovery."

"No thanks is necessary, my dear." He smiled at her, flashing a set of pearly white teeth.

She glanced at his robe, careful not to look at his chest, and noticed how white it was. It didn't have a speck of dust on it. She looked down at her own robe, and was fully aware of how bloody and dirty it was. She brushed at it in vain.

She stood up. "Lord Raiden, I think it is best if I be on my way." She said. She grabbed her hat and tied the strings together, so that it was slung on her back like a knapsack.

"Are you sure you should be running about? You are, after all, still recovering." He looked at her anxiously. It was nice to know that at least someone was concerned about her well-being. Well, he cared about _everyone's _well-being.

"I am fine, Lord Raiden." She flushed.

Ashrah was not sure if she was in love with the god before her. She had talked to Sareena about it, and the demon had told her that she definitely was smitten with him. Ashrah could not understand why she blushed when he smiled at her, why she felt secure when he was beside her.

_The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of. _Kitana had once told her.

She blushed as Raiden clapped her shoulder.

"Be careful." He said seriously. "Well, I should be going as well." He mused out loud as he turned towards the opposite direction. "Take care of yourself, Ashrah."

Ashrah watched as Raiden walked away from her.

"Lord Raiden!" she blurted out without thinking.

He stopped in his tracks and glanced at her. "Yes, my dear?"

_I'minlovewithyou! _ Her mind screamed. "I…" she looked at the god. "Thank you." She smiled.

The Thunder God smiled back. "No thanks are necessary." He waved good bye and she waved back.

As the god disappeared into the forest, Ashrah sighed in disappointment. A god like him, almost perfect, should not be concerned with her feelings for him.

She sighed yet again and walked off in the opposite direction, feeling the weight of unspoken words on her chest.


	2. Vaguely Familiar

**Vaguely Familiar.**

Scorpion was never known to be a ladies' man. He always kept his distance from women who tried to make advances on him. They pissed him off, to say the least. He was no gentleman either. If it's a fight a woman wants, it's a fight she would get.

He liked to think that he could handle the even the most complicated of situations. He, however, did not see this one coming.

An overly hyper woman, he could ignore.

A very angry woman, he could fight.

But a _crying _woman left him helpless.

Scorpion was the type of person who could care less about the feelings of other people. Hell, he even enjoyed angering them if it meant they would put up a good fight. However, at the sight of the overly depressed woman, he just could not take it.

He was trying so hard to tune out her sobbing, but it was somehow so difficult for him.

He could understand the grief of losing someone dear to you, though he himself has never lost the person he loved most. It had been the other way around, his wife lost _him. _

The Edenian Princess has been crying for only Raiden knows how long. She obviously was having a hard time getting over the death of the Champion, Liu Kang.

People might be wondering why Scorpion would not just stay away from her so as not to hear her wailing.

Raiden.

Raiden was the reason why he could not stay away from her. He had ordered him to stay with Kitana until she had gotten past her depression. And when a god orders, his subjects are supposed to follow. And it angered Scorpion to no end.

Why could he not have ordered her bodyguard to stay with her? Why not her friends? Scorpion and Kitana were not enemies, but they were a far shot from being friends. Scorpion did not know anything about the Edenian Princess, except that she was the daughter of Queen Sindel.

He leaned on a tree as he watched her cry her eyes out in front of the grave of her beloved. Her grief, for some reason, went straight to Scorpion's heart, and it frustrated him that her sadness had affected him somehow.

"Why? Why'd you have to leave me?" he heard Kitana mumble. Her voice was faint, but Scorpion could hear her.

He sensed her pain and looked away from her. The scene before him was enough to make his throat constrict. He growled at his weakness. _A Shirai Ryu is_ not_ weak_, he thought to himself.

At the back of his mind though, he felt as if he were experiencing déjà vu, like he had seen the exact same sequence before. He sifted through his memories, and grimaced when he noticed which one it was.

It was his wife mourning for him.

Back when Scorpion still believed Quan Chi's lies, he asked the necromancer to show him what had happened to his clan. Of course, he started from the very beginning. He showed him her wife's mourning. He showed her clawing through the ground, unable to accept the fact that her husband was now gone.

_Why did you leave me, Hanzo? Why? I need you here. I need you to raise our child. I can't do this alone, Hanzo. I love you._

Her words reverberated in Scorpion's head and his throat tightened at the memory. He could not breathe properly and tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

He looked back towards the Princess and found her sprawled on the ground. _Did she kill herself?_ Scorpion ran towards her and checked her pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief; she just fell asleep. She looked so broken, and for some reason, it bothered him.

Probably because she was always so strong. To see someone like her break down and actually _cry_ was…Scorpion could not describe the feeling.

He watched over her, until she finally regained consciousness.

"Wha-?" he watched her rub her eyes and sit up. It was only_ now _that Scorpion actually noticed how beautiful Kitana was. "Scorpion?" her voice snapped him out of his reverie.

"Princess?"

"What are you doing here?" she asked him. The implication of her statement was clear to Scorpion. 'Leave me alone. NOW.'

"I was ordered here, _Milady." _He said her title mockingly. "Do you think I _want _to be beside you?"

Kitana glared at him. "Leave me alone." She turned away from him and started walking off the opposite direction, but not before Scorpion grasped her wrist with an iron grip.

"Let go!"

"NO." he glared at her.

After a few moments, Kitana gave up trying to make him let go of her wrist.

"What do you want, Scorpion?" she gave him a withering look. "Do you enjoy my suffering _that _much?" she said bitterly.

"I was given strict orders to stay with you until you get better. Raiden's orders." He added as he let go of her hand.

"I don't need your company. I've no time for your cynicism or sarcasm. Nor do I have time for your mockery."

"But you have time to wallow in self-pity." Scorpion blurted out before he could stop himself.

"I guess one such as you, who has never loved someone, could never understand how _I _feel." She retorted. It was Scorpion's turn to get angry.

"You don't know anything!" he retorted hotly.

"Oh really?" she argued back. "You're not an annoying, selfish, cynical, perpetually angry specter, who knows nothing but taking revenge on the people who killed him?" she spat.

Scorpion's temper flared at what she said. How dare she even _think_ that he didn't care for his wife and son!

"I loved my wife and my son! Don't you dare imply that I did not care about them!"

She looked absolutely stunned at what he said.

Why did her words affect him so much? Why did her opinion of him matter so much? He shouldn't care about what she thought of him. He shouldn't…but he did. And it bothered him a lot.

_Great_, Scorpion thought. _You are such a genius, Scorpion. _

Kitana mumbled something Scorpion didn't quite catch.

"What?" he asked.

"I said 'Sorry.'" She paused. "I didn't know you had a son…let alone a wife." She looked ashamed of what she said.

When was the last time somebody apologized to him sincerely? He could not recall.

"It's all right." He looked away from her. It was a painful subject for him. He felt a hand touch his arm lightly, and he looked towards Kitana.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

_What in the-? _

Scorpion stared at her incredulously. She was the one who had a loved one taken from her, and she wanted to talk about _his _past. Scorpion laughed.

"What so funny?" she asked him.

"You are…unbelievable." He shook his head.

"Why?" she cocked her head to the side.

"You lost Liu Kang and you want to talk about _my _family." He shook his head. "Unbelievable."

"Well, you seemed to be so bothered by the memory. I just thought maybe you needed someone to talk to." She shrugged. "Besides," she gave him a sad smile, "I think Liu has had enough of my tears."

"I see." Scorpion merely said. He looked away from her. "To make the story short, my wife and child were killed, along with my clan. Killed by Quan Chi."

Scorpion did not anticipate Kitana's next move, she hugged him. To say that he was shocked would be an understatement. The specter blushed at the gesture.

"I'm sorry." Kitana gave him a watery smile.

"Don't worry about it." He was glad he had a mask on. If not, she would have seen how red his face was. After Kitana pulled back but she kept her grip on his hand.

"How did you go from wanting to fight me out of anger, to hugging me?" he asked. "From sobbing to smiling? How do you do it?" he was truly curious now.

Kitana shrugged. "When bad things happen, it's best to just let it all out." She smiled at him. "Trust me, you'll feel better afterward."

"Indeed?"

"Well, I'm all right now. You can leave."

"No." he answered much too quickly. At Kitana's raised eyebrow, he quickly added, "Raiden would have my head if anything happens to you."

"All right, then. You can come along." She took one last glance at Liu Kang's grave. "Good bye." She said.

Scorpion smiled lightly behind his mask. Kitana was strong. And Liu Kang's death made her even stronger. She had probably gone through so much pain and suffering that it was a miracle she could even smile.

And that smile did something strange to his heart.

And it bothered him.

A lot.


	3. The Art of Manipulation

**A/N: Heads up! This is a one-sided Tanya/Reiko pairing. **

**The Art of Manipulation. **

Boredom.

That was the only thing she felt at the moment.

Meetings such as the one they were having now made Tanya want to go to sleep. But, of course, she would never dream of looking, the least inattentive. It had been something of a miracle that Shao Kahn even accepted her into his army; she, after all, had never had the best track record.

As the emperor droned on, Tanya found herself scanning the table's occupants. There were only seven of them, including both her and Shao Kahn. It was strange seeing all of them discussing battle stratagems, when only a week ago, they were at each other's throats.

The most surprising addition to their group, perhaps, was the Thunder God, Raiden. The emperor had struck a deal with him, it seemed. He would spare Earthrealm, if Raiden would stop the sons of Argus from finishing their quest.

Her eyes found the person the Thunder God's right side, Quan Chi. He would alternate between glaring at Shang Tsung, who was in front of him (and also on Tanya's left), and scowling at Raiden. The Emperor sometimes had to raise his voice to the point of shouting just to have their attention back to him.

On Shang Tsung's left side, was perhaps the most formidable opponent (or ally, in this case) one could ever have: Ex-emperor Onaga, the Dragon King. Unlike the others, he was standing up, making him look even more menacing as he towered over them. Though this, she believed, was not because he wanted to stand up, it probably had something to do with there being no chair to accommodate his size and weight.

Emperor Shao Kahn was, of course, seated on a large throne-like chair at the end of the long table. It was a subtle reminder that they may be allies for now, but they were not his equals. She remembered the expression of indignation on Onaga's face when he saw the chair, apparently, it was a blow to his ego to be reminded that he was no longer the emperor, and Shao Kahn was.

The last person she had yet to mention was the one across her: Reiko, General of Shao Kahn's army. He was a lean man, with short black and white. His face held no expression, and his blue eyes seemed to be void of all emotion. An occasional glance towards Quan Chi would set his lips downward into a grim line, but once he returned his attention to Shao Kahn, that irritation would melt away, leaving his face in stone once again.

General Reiko didn't look it, but he was a very powerful man. She knew that there was no way that all the others would listen to her, therefore, she had a plan to seduce the young General into doing what she wanted and needed to get into the others' good shoes.

"…will not hesitate to kill us all. Divided, we are easily taken care of, but if we join forces, we could be unstoppable." Shao Kahn ended his tirade.

_Finally_, Tanya thought.

"I agree with Shao Kahn. We must put our differences aside and become allies." Quan Chi said.

"And why, in the Elder God's name should we believe _you_, Quan Chi? Because you're the embodiment of trust and loyalty?" Shang Tsung said sarcastically.

"Do you want to live or die? I, personally, would like nothing more than see your corpse rot in Netherrealm, Shang Tsung, but _I_ would rather not share the same fate."

The two stood up and were about to draw their weapons when Raiden threw a spark in the air, catching their attention.

"It is of utmost importance," he spoke in a voice that had Tanya repressing shudders, "that we work together. All of you—us—would be killed easily if we do not fight as one."

"I will not join an alliance of _traitors!_" Onaga roared. Tanya didn't miss the way his, Quan Chi's and Shang Tsung's eyes all flickered towards her.

"Comrades," Quan Chi spoke in his most neutral tone. "we are _all_ treacherous by nature. But if we do not stand together—at least initially—it could mean the end of all of us."

"I could care less about all of you." Onaga growled. "I do not need your help."

"Onaga." Shao Kahn said in his deep voice.

"That's _Emperor_ Onaga to you!"

"Not anymore." He replied coolly.

Onaga lifted a giant fist and brought it down towards the table.

Tanya just managed to get out of her seat before the table debris came flying towards her.

"Smashing tables will not help us with our current predicament." Raiden sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Very well. An alliance with you, I can accept." Shang Tsung managed. "But what of her?" he pointed at Tanya.

Six pairs of eyes swiveled towards her. She tried not to fidget.

"What about her?" Shao Kahn asked.

"She, under no circumstances, can be trusted!" Quan Chi pitched in angrily. "Our treachery towards each other would be considered miniscule to all those she committed!"

"Yet she may be a valuable ally." Came a silky reply. Everyone shifted their gaze onto General Reiko, who spoke for the very first time since the meeting commenced.

Tanya was surprised, she hadn't done anything yet, why did he come to her defense? Did her good looks have _that_ much power over other people?

"And if we all end up dead because we trusted this wench?" Shang Tsung countered.

Reiko turned his steely gaze towards him. "We've already established that we would betray each other sooner or later. Since she has already offered her services, I suggest we make the most of it. Isn't that right, Tanya?"

The yellow-clad woman swallowed thickly, hoping she didn't appear in the least, intimidated. "I will not be the first to betray you."

Onaga and the two sorcerers didn't appear to be convinced.

She could do this. She was a master manipulator. Why, she had already managed to fool half of the table's occupants before, why not do it again? She opened her mouth to speak, but Shao Kahn cut her off.

"That is enough. She will work as a colonel under General Reiko." He turned to address the General. "Reiko, take Tanya with you and leave us. We have much to discuss. I shall call you when I am in need of your strategy expertise." He dismissed them.

Reiko and Tanya bowed to them and stalked out of the room. The two did not speak to each other until they reached the courtyard.

"Why did you defend me?" Tanya asked. Without warning, he attacked. Tanya barely managed to duck in time to avoid the blow aimed at her head when another came towards her abdomen.

She moved out of the way and grabbed his arm. With all the body strength she had, Tanya flipped him onto his back. Before her adversary could recover from her attack, Tanya positioned herself on top of him and drew her knife up to his throat.

The scowl on her face melted into confusion as she saw the smugness on Reiko's face. He chuckled at her expression.

It was strange, Tanya thought, hearing him laugh. It was nothing like anything she had heard before. Shinnok had a high-pitched, cackle, Quan Chi and Shao Kahn had deep, menacing ones, Onaga had one that could be considered a cross between a laugh and a roar, and Kitana and Sindel had light, lilting giggles.

Reiko, on the other hand, had a deep, smooth laugh. If Tanya had to compare it to something, it would probably be velvet.

She snapped out of her reverie as Reiko ordered her to get off. She stood up warily, not sheathing her knife just yet. He dusted himself off and glanced at the weapon in her hand.

"You can get rid of that now."

Tanya put her knife away. "You didn't answer my question."

Reiko walked over to her and stopped only when he was about a foot away. "I needed an excuse to verbally trash Quan Chi."

"Oh," Tanya said, disappointed at his answer. She was hoping he would say he was an interesting person or someth—wait what? Why would she care about what Reiko thought of her? It wasn't as if he was anything more than a tool she would need.

"Your skills would be most beneficial to our cause, as you have just shown minutes ago." He added.

Tanya looked up in surprise as he took her right hand in his. "And of course, a beautiful lady such as yourself would encourage men to work harder to prove themselves, if not just to impress you."

She heard herself breathe in sharply as the General bent down and kissed her hand.

Tanya would never admit it, but she had the sudden urge to giggle flirtatiously just as Kitana used to do.

He straightened his back and gave her a crooked smile before leaving her to do his rounds.

She had already heard the stories about how the General could be a very convincing person. Tanya had scoffed at those rumors, chalking it up to their naiveté and gullibility.

Oh, how wrong she was.

He was mysterious and charming, an oh-so bad combination. He used Tanya's need for assurance and safety. With a few compliments and a few words in her defense, he had her wrapped around his finger.

She smiled to herself. Maybe General Reiko truly _was_ interested in her. At any rate, she thought he would make a good lover, should she succeed in her world domination plans.

She couldn't know that at that very moment, Reiko was smirking and patting himself on the back for a job well done.

The job of manipulating the manipulator.

**A/N: Sooo…did you guys miss me? XD I haven't update for more than a year. Cripes. Sorryyy. I love you guys. *hug* I've been pretty busy this year. College is so hard. TT^TT But I took my time out to update this fic again! Woohoo! **

**Please leave a review! ANONYMOUS REVIEWS ARE ALSO WELCOME!**

**P.S. Check out the poll on my page. :D That's all, bye for now!**


	4. Making Amends

**A/N: Just a heads up, I think this particular story merits an M rating, though I'm not exactly sure. XD**

**Making Amends. **

Sareena walked down the halls of the Lin Kuei temple, trying to locate its Grandmaster. He'd been avoiding her for days after their last confrontation. Sometimes, she'd think she caught a glimpse of him but he'd disappear as soon as she took a closer look.

She sighed as she reached the courtyard. Sub-zero could be stealthy when he wanted to be. Sareena wondered where he was hiding. He wasn't in his rooms, the dining hall, the training area…

Sareena sat down on a stone bench and ran her hand through her hair. How in the world would she be able to apologize to him if she couldn't even _find _him?

"Miss Sareena?" a voice questioned from behind her. Sareena started and faced the person who spoke. As soon as she saw who it was, she relaxed her stance.

"Oh, Ryu, it's only you."

The boy chuckled. "What a warm welcome."

Ryu was a Lin Kuei warrior who had befriended her the moment she entered the stronghold. He helped her when she got lost and talked to her when Sub-zero was busy.

Sareena reached over and ruffled his hair. "Only for you." She teased.

"Hey, hey, not the hair." He slapped her hands off playfully and attempted to fix his mussed hair.

"So what are you worrying about at this time of the day?"

Sareena sighed. "I may have said some things to your Grandmaster that offended him." She bit her lip as she remembered her statement.

_Get away from me, you monster!_

"Why not go and apologize to him if it's eating you up?"

"That's the problem. I can't find him! I've tried his room, the dining hall, the courtyard, the training area, basically everywhere!"

"Really?" Ryu gave him an amused smile. "Have you tried the kitchens?"

Sareena blinked at him. "Why in the world would he be there?"

He gave her a grin. "Well, it's the last place anyone would look for him."

"Thanks, kid." She messed up his hair—earning an indignant squawk from him—and walked towards the direction of the kitchens.

When Sareena reached the doors leading to the kitchen, she paused to formulate her apology in her head.

_Sub-zero, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to say that_. Then grovel at his feet.

She shook her head at that. It sounded rather stupid.

She opened the door and stepped in; only to bump into a person.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She looked up at the man. He was a tall and bulky man with messy black hair. Sareena felt like she had already met him before, though she wasn't sure where or when. His unnaturally blue eyes widened in surprise before narrowing.

"It's quite all right, Miss," he said. "Did you have any business in the kitchen?"

Sareena frowned. Why did the man seem so annoyed at her? "I merely want to know if your Grandmaster is in the kitchen."

His eyebrows shot to his hairline. "He isn't."

Her shoulders sagged in disappointment. "Oh," she said. "Well, if you see him, could you please tell me?"

"I can pass the message along."

Sareena shot him an irate look. "I believe this is something I wish to tell him _myself._"

He gave her an inscrutable look before stepping aside and gesturing for her to enter the kitchen.

"Huh?" she asked unintelligibly.

He rolled his eyes. He went inside and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two glasses before sitting at one of the tables at the far end of the room. Puzzled, she followed him inside and glanced around.

Just as most places in the Lin Kuei temple, the kitchen was also a busy place. People were running around and about, cooking different dishes at the same time. The most amazing thing about the whole thing, perhaps, was that it seemed like an everyday thing. They anticipated the other worker's moves, much like in a fight. The cook on the right threw the bottle of oil and the person to his left extended his hand and grabbed it, without even looking!

"Amazing aren't they?" he asked her with a smirk.

"They are." she agreed wholeheartedly. He poured whiskey into both of their glasses and handed her one.

"Whiskey before dinner?" Sareena eyed it speculatively before taking it from him. "It isn't poisoned, is it?"

"I don't think so." He smiled wryly, and started drinking. "So what happened between you and the Grandmaster?"

"I think that's between me and him."

"Is that the reason for his mysterious…disappearance?"

Sareena's eyebrows shot upwards. So she wasn't the only who noticed.

"…Perhaps." The demoness took a sip, enjoying the feeling of the alcohol burning down her throat. "So was there any reason you suddenly invited someone you've just met to drink whiskey?"

He shrugged. "You looked like you needed a drink."

Sareena gave him a sly smile. "Or maybe you're trying to get me drunk, then ravish me in bed?"

The man flushed bright red and promptly choked on his drink. Sareena laughed at his reaction before slapping him on the back.

"W-what in Raiden's name made you say that?" he rasped.

Sareena was now clutching her stomach. "You—you—the look on your face—!" she managed before bursting into laughter once more.

He was still blushing faintly by the time she finally calmed down.

"Thanks," she said as she wiped the tears off her face. "I needed that."

"Glad I could entertain you."

There was a moment of silence before Sareena spoke up. "So, what's your name?"

"Um, Ed." He coughed.

She cocked her head. "You don't look like an 'Ed'."

"Then what _do _I look like?" he raised an eyebrow.

Sareena shrugged and refilled her glass. She was sure that wasn't his real name. "So _Ed, _why are you so hell bent on finding out what happened between me and your Grandmaster?"

"Actually," he poured himself some more whiskey, "I've heard _his_ side of the story, and just wanted to know what yours was."

"Oh." Was all she could say.

"But if you really don't want to, I won't force you."

Sareena kept her eyes on her drink as she spoke. "He trigged some…memories."

"What kind of memories?"

"Not so good ones."

"What exactly happened?" _Ed_ probed.

"We were sparring, and well, he won and pinned me on the ground. And…and that triggered a flashback." She glanced at his face.

"Yes, but what flashback?"

Sareena bit her lip. "I—I think it's pretty obvious." She rubbed at her arms and shivered in disgust as she remembered.

_Hot breath searing her skin, one hand roaming her body; the other clutching a knife, retracing old wounds—_

_A whisper. _

"_Whose are you?" _

_No one's. _

_A scream of pain as the knife is plunged into her arm. Warm liquid trickles down her limb._

"_Whose?"_

_A sob. _

"_Yours."_

_A cold laugh. _

"_You best remember that, Sareena."_

"Sareena?" she looked up as he called her name. His eyes were filled with concern. He reached over to her face and wiped something off her face.

It was then that she noticed that she was crying. She quickly dashed the tears escaping from her eyes.

"Sorry," she mumbled. There was no use crying, it never did solve anything. "When the flashback started, I thought he was going to…you know. I mean, he sort of tried to kiss me." she sighed. "I pushed him off and started shooting my mouth off. I didn't mean a lot of things I said. My mouth is more often than not disconnected to my brain."

"It's quite all right. I think I understand." He said as he grabbed two bottles and held it out to her. She took it from him and drank her worries away, not even bothering to ask how in the world he knew her name.

The next thing Sareena remembered was waking up with a splitting headache.

She groaned and sat up. She opened her eyes and was surprised to find herself in Sub-zero's room.

"What the Netherrealm—?" And then it hit her. She laughed out loud. How could she have not noticed it before?

She stood up and tripped over something on the floor. As she flopped on top of him, he started to stir.

"Hnn? Sareena?" he murmured, disoriented.

"Good morning _Ed._" She greeted as she placed her hands on his chest and propped her chin on them.

"I don't want to get up yet."

Sareena stiffened as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to his chest. Soon enough, though, she relaxed into his arms.

"Sareena," he said.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have avoided you these past few days…"

"It's all right." She mumbled into his chest. "I didn't mean the things I said. About your brother being a better man than you."

"I understand."

Silence.

"Sub-zero?"

"Yes?"

"Are you _sure_ you didn't get me drunk to ravish me in bed?"

He laughed at her as he rolled her off him and pinned her down on the ground. "Do you _want_ me to ravish you in bed?" he teased, though his ears were turning pink.

She gave him a teasing smile. "Maybe."

He chuckled and dipped down to press his lips against hers.

And this time, she was quite happy to let him.

**A/N: So what _exactly _did Sareena say to Subbie? Well, I'll just leave that to your imagination. **

**Meh, not exactly as I planned it, but oh well. XD I still hope you liked it. Please leave a review. :D Anonymous reviews are always welcome. :P **

**BTW, any suggestions for pairings?**


	5. Comfort

**Comfort**

Kitana slumped onto her mother's throne as soon as everyone was out of the room. Trust her mother to leave her all the responsibilities while she went running amok Raiden-knows-where. She stifled a yawn behind her hand as she swung her legs onto the arm rests.

The job of accepting the Edenians' requests for more food and resources was not at all tiring…but it was rather boring. She'd prefer to go and fight somebody, though she remembered what happened last time. She managed to incapacitate over thirty of their guards in under a minute.

They were either terribly unskilled or were afraid of hurting her.

_Hurting her._

An unlady-like snort escaped her as that particular thought entered her mind. She had fought far more dangerous opponents who were hell-bent on killing her. She slouched even further in her seat as she remembered the events of the previous month: the death of Liu Kang, and the forging of the Deadly Alliance, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi.

She closed her eyes at the phantom pain in her chest. Kitana knew that it was foolish of her for falling in love with him. She did not know exactly what drew her to him, but she felt a pull towards him that he had not felt with others, and that was probably why she felt so devastated when she heard of his death.

Because of those events, Raiden had ordered her—_ordered_—to stay in the castle. She was free to disobey, but the haunted look on the Thunder God's eyes was something she'd never seen before in her life, and it was what kept her under this roof. The god also mentioned that he'd be sending someone over to protect her.

_Protect her_.

Yet another snort.

As if _she _needed protection. She was a dexterous fighter, and if her skill wasn't enough, she had others to back her up. A sad feeling washed over her as she remembered Jade, her best friend—the closest thing to a sister she ever had. She met her end by Quan Chi's blade, and while it had dealt a heavy blow to her emotional stability, she had Liu Kang to lean on for support…

But now…she had no one.

The Edenian princess sighed as she freed her hair from its braid and ran her hand through it to remove the knots. There was no need to impress anybody. She also took off her outer robe and threw it to the floor. Sometimes, it could be so hot in Edenia. As long as she was alone, she was free to act the way she wanted.

The question was…was she alone?

Kitana was on her feet at once as soon as she felt and heard someone teleport into the room. She waited on bated breath, but heard no footsteps, or any sign of breathing. She relaxed a fraction. Maybe she had imagined it?

"Boo." A voice whispered in her ear.

The princess was so shocked that she'd spun too quickly and slipped on the polished floor of the chamber. She'd have to commend whoever polished the tiles.

Before she could fall, an arm snaked around her waist and a hand grabbed her arm. She was pressed onto somebody's chest and she could feel the rhythmic beating of the man's heart. Kitana breathed in his scent. She knew at once who he was.

"Kitana?" the voice asked unsurely.

The said woman immediately pulled back and was glad that she learned early in her youth to will away blushes. She refused to look even the least embarrassed; knowing that doing so would be a sign of weakness, so she met the surprised eyes of one Kung Lao.

"Kung Lao." She applauded herself silently for being able to keep her voice steady despite being flustered. "Are you quite all right?" she asked when she noticed he was not staring at her face, but at her body.

Only then did she remember her current state of dress. This time, she could not stop the redness from creeping up her face. Her inner robe was made of flowy, translucent material, which gave Kung Lao a nice view of her blue underwear.

Kitana grabbed the robe on the floor and hastily put it on.

"So," she began, feigning nonchalance, "What brings you here?"

Kung Lao snapped out of his thoughts and offered her a lopsided grin. "Well, I was sent by Raiden to _protect_ you, _your worshipfulness_."

Kitana smiled at the use of the nickname he invented for her. He knew she hated being called _Your Highness, _so he settled for the next best one: Your Worshipfulness.

"I would normally say that you don't need my help, but after seeing your rather pitiful display, I daresay I made the right choice." He teased.

The princess sniffed in disdain. "Hmph. You just caught me off guard. Normal people can't teleport in here, you know."

"So I'm special then?"

"I was thinking more on the lines of 'abnormal'." She deadpanned.

Kung Lao's mouth opened in an exaggerated 'O'. The look of mock-hurt on his face made her giggle. By the Elder Gods, she missed him. He almost never visited after Jade's death.

"You should let your hair down more often." He blurted out. At her lifted brow, Kung Lao hastily added, "You look even more beautiful that way."

A blush graced her features, but she raised her eyebrow and said, "Flattery does not become of you."

"Yes, I suppose it doesn't." Kung Lao chuckled nervously as he took of his hat and ran a hand through his shoulder-length hair. "So, how have you been?"

Kitana's giddiness faded almost at once. She knew the hidden meaning behind his words.

_Have you gotten over Liu's Death?_

It reminded her, once again, of her loss.

Of Liu Kang.

A warm hand landed on her shoulder, and she looked up to meet Kung Lao's pitying gaze. Kitana scowled at him. She didn't need anyone's sympathy.

Wrenching herself away from his grip, she turned around and stalked away.

"Hey—wha—?" Kitana could hear his footsteps as he hurried to catch up with her.

"I do not need your pity." She all but growled. Did they really think she needed compassion? Deep down, she knew that none of them felt the same pain she was feeling now. They wouldn't understand.

"I'm sorry." Kung Lao said from behind her. "I didn't mean to bring it up. It's just that…I understand how you feel. Jade…she was my everything. When she died, it felt like a part of me died too. And I know that's how you feel now."

Silence permeated between them. Kung Lao was staring at her with an intensity that she was not used to.

"Kung Lao?"

"I know you feel something for me. I can feel it, right here." He pointed at his chest

To Kitana's surprise, he stepped closer towards her—so close that she could smell his scent—and raised a hand to her cheek.

"Kitana, I…" he trailed off, looking rather uncertain.

She gazed at him questioningly.

"I want you to know that I'm here for you." He said, though Kitana had a feeling that that was not what he was going to say. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

Her eyes filled with tears. Even if she did feel something for him, she couldn't act on her feelings for Kung Lao. Deep down, she'd feel a sliver of guilt. He probably knew what she was thinking, because he added,

"What I feel for you, Kitana, may never be as strong as that which I felt for Jade. Our…relationship may never be what you had with Liu Kang. But it's something. And right now…I—we—need something to live for." He buried his head in her hair.

Kitana's tears were flowing freely at this point. How could she have thought that she was the only one who felt pain as intense as this? How could have she forgotten that Jade was Kung's better half, and Liu his brother in everything but blood? How could she have forgotten that he, as well, lost them?

Dare she try to forget Liu Kang? Could she move on from him? Should she choose to heal with Kung Lao, or forever drown herself in the pain of her lover's death?

Kung Lao pressed his forehead to hers and Kitana was able to see the raw pain in his eyes. And at that moment—she made her decision.

She cupped his face with her hands, and there was a spark of something in his eyes.

Life.

And she knew that if he looked in her eyes, that was what he'd see too.

**A/N: Meh. Late update. Sorry. I had a hard time picking out which pairings I'm going to write. :P**

**Anyway, leave a review! Anonymous reviews are welcome! :)**


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